The French in India – UPSC Notes
Establishment of the French East India Company
📅 1664 – French East India Company (Compagnie des Indes Orientales) was started by Colbert.
The French in India – UPSC Notes 🧱 1. Establishment of the French East India Company 📅 1664 – French East India Company ( Compagnie des Indes Orientales ) was started by Colbert , minister of French king Louis XIV . 🎯 Aim: To trade with India and the Pacific region. 🛡️ Got 50-year trade monopoly , and Madagascar as a base (but Madagascar plan failed). 🏭 2. French Factories and Settlements 1667 – First French factory in India set up at Surat by Francois Caron . 1669 – Another factory at Masulipatnam , set up by Mercara (a Persian with Caron), after permission from Sultan of Golconda . 1673 – Got permission from Shaista Khan (Mughal Subedar of Bengal) to set up a trading post at Chandernagore (near Calcutta). 1673–74 – Got Pondicherry from Sher Khan Lodi , a Bijapur official. ❗ Pondicherry became the main centre of French power in India. 📍 3. Other Important Trading Centres Mahe , Karaikal , Balasore , and Qasim Bazar were other key places where the French traded. ⚠️ 4. Early Problems and Setbacks 1693 – D…